Pluck o' the Irish

Comic relies on gut instinct to lampoon pop culture.

As one of the last of the "classic road comics," Dan O'Sullivan admits he's never held a 9-to-5 job. Driving a beer truck at Florida's Busch Gardens during his college days is about as close as the St. Louis native has come to banking a regular paycheck. "I used to have to wear a brown polyester suit with the orange fucking trim on it in 90-degree heat," says O'Sullivan, who's in town this weekend to yuk it up in the Flats. "It was a perfect outfit."Today, the Showtime alumnus travels the country with his gag bag of jokes about sports, dating, and reality-TV shows. The Biggest Loser tops his list of targets. "You know who the biggest loser is? You, if you watch it," says O'Sullivan. "If I want to see big, ugly people crying, I'll go to Wal-Mart instead, y'know?" For now, the ex-college-soccer star is looking ahead to his shows in Cleveland. And having already made a handful of trips to Northeast Ohio, O'Sullivan may slip in a few cracks he told before in Cleveland. "The audience doesn't even remember the jokes I told last time. It's great if they remember one bit. But I don't have a following, and nobody pays attention to me," sighs O'Sullivan. "It's a tough thing when you're not famous." Showtime is at 8 tonight, 8 and 10:15 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday, and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Improv, 2000 Sycamore Street on the West Bank of the Flats. Tickets are $10 to $16. Call 216-696-4677 or visit www.improvupcoming.com.
Thu., May 22, 8 p.m.; May 23-24, 8 & 10:15 p.m.; Sun., May 25, 7 p.m., 2008